Monthly Archives: May 2011

A Party Where Everyone Dies Is No Fun

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Dr. J

Happy Memorial Day to everyone! What better way to spend a portion of your day off work than to read part of one of the great works of Western Civilization? Here are the readings for the upcoming week: Robinson Crusoe … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Liberal Arts | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Secular Jew Pegs “Oprah” as Secular Chapel

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Dr. J

Numerous scholars have noted that human beings are inescapably religious, and that while society may think it is “secularizing,” the religious impulse is actually simply being transferred to some other locus of devotion. Obvious places where we can find this … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Plato’s Noble Lie Trumps Ten Commandments in the EU

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Dr. J

If you’re familiar with Plato’s Republic, you may recall that Plato recommends that society’s elites persuade everyone to believe a false story of the society’s origins. The purpose of the “noble lie” was to get the rabble to go along … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | 2 Comments

“God Wants Middle-Class Entitlements,” Say Catholic Academics

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Dr. J

You may have missed the story, but apparently some Roman Catholic academics decided to take Speaker of the House John Boehner to task on the occasion of his visit to the Catholic University of America to give the commencement address … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | Tagged | 7 Comments

Exposing the Grandchild Didn’t Work for Astyages, Either

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Dr. J

It’s Great Books Monday here at the Western Tradition, and this past week has been the first where we were in five long works simultaneously . . . probably not the best moment for a newcomer to jump in. However, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Liberal Arts | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Real Balanced Budget Proposal

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Dr. J

When a budget like Rep. Paul Ryan’s, which has us racking up trillions more in debt over the next few years, is denounced as draconian and radical, you know there’s no connection between rhetoric and reality in Washington, D.C. Presumably … Continue reading →

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Now There’s a B.A. in Atheism–What Next?

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Dr. J

In this morning’s Wall Street Journal there’s an op-ed by Alan Jacobs on Pitzer College’s decision to create a new department and offer an undergraduate major in “secular studies.” It’s an interesting piece, and I encourage you to read it. … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Culture | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Is the New Testament a Forgery?

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Dr. J

There are few certain things in this world, but one of them is that each year around Easter and Christmas you’ll see a lot of media stories that purport to debunk Christianity. You’ll also see the release of books and … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Religion: First You Cheapen It, Then You Lose It

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Dr. J

This week we’ve got another great episode of the Research on Religion podcast, and it’s not just because host Anthony Gill gave this blog a shout out on it. It’s also because there’s a fascinating discussion with a scholar of … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | 5 Comments

Sing Psalms When You’re Shipwrecked

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Dr. J

We’re back to normal with a real Great Books Monday post. Those of you in education are probably entering or nearing the beginning of your summer break. If you are foolish like me, you’ve loaded yourself up with numerous projects … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Liberal Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments